Engine



G. L. CHASE.

y ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17| I9I9.

Patented J an. 13, 1920.

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A ENGINE.. APPLICATION [IL ED FEB. I7, 1919. 1,328,033,4 Patented Jan.13,1920 i ariens-SHEET u D n n .Y i. I 4o 42. D D :l D

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ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17. 1919. v

Patented Jn.13,1920.

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25 i wvehtoz 2? 3 y 5501765 L Chf/15E 35 4 7 /3 3 XA fluo/014213 GEORGE L. CHI-XSE, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

' ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Jan, 13, 1920.

Application filed lFebruary 17, 1919. Serial No. 277,673.

To all whom t may concern.' f

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. CHASE, a 'citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in engines and the obj ect of my invention is to provide a rotary engine of relatively simple construction that is free from vibration and extremely eiicient as a power producer.

A further object of my invention is to provide an engine of a compact form of construction and one wherein the cylinders and the greater part of the engine structure rotate so that the momentum of the heavy rol tating parts will contribute to produce an engine that will run very smoothly and will develop a great amount of power.

I accomplish these objects by devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view in vertical mid section substantially on broken line 1, l of Fig. 2, of an engine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a View lin sectional elevation of the same substantially on a broken line 2, 2 of Fig. l.' v

Fig. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation substantially on .broken line 3, 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation illustrating a detail of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation showing a valve member embodied in my invention.

. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view partly in cross-section and partly vin elevation illustrating the `manner of securing the spokes of the hub portion of the revolving frame', and, v

Fig.V 7 is a imaginent-ary view in cross-section illustrating the valve that controls the inlet and exhaust in an opposite position from that shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 4throughout which like reference numerals indicate like parts, the numerals 10and 11 designatel two triangular frame members that form a support for the engine. The upper portion of the frame member l0 is provided with a square aperture 'for the reception of a squared portion or block 12A on one end of which is formed an integral'circular'bearing shank 13, there being a shoulder 14 formed at the junction of theblock 12 and shank`13 and the block 12l and shank 13 being provided with an interiorly disposed longitudinally 'extending passageway 15 that serves as a valve'ghambe'r4 and as a means lfor permitting inlet and exhaust of steam.

The shank 3 is provided with diametri- Y18 extending almost one half way around the shank 13 and terminating just before it yreaches the passageway 17 and the groove 20 extending almost half way around the shank 13 on the side yopposite the groove 18 and terminating just before it reaches'the passageway 16.

vThe block 12 projects outwardly through the frame member 10 and is provided nea-r its outer end with an outlet opening 21 that vis adapted to be connected with an exhaust pipe 22. v

23 isa steam inlet pipe that is adapted to' extendA into the passageway 15 and isprovided on its inner end with a valve member 24 that iits snugly within the passageway 15 and is provided on one side with a notch 25 adapted to register with an exhaust port and on the opposite side with a steam inlet orifice 26 adapted to register with a steam inlet port, the end of the valve member 24 is provided' with a small projection 27 that is adapted to engage with the end wall of the passageway 15 and prevent the valve member from binding tightly the endV wall of such passageway when itis rotated.

suitable stuiling box 28 at the point where'it entersY the'passageway 15 and is provided exteriorly of the stuffing box with a fixed lever arm 30 by which the valve member 24 may be turned within the passageway 15 `to reverse the direction` of rotation of the engine as hereinafter explained.

Mounted for rotation fupon the'shank 13 is a square block or. hubl member y31 that vThe steam inlet pipe 23 passes through a terminates in a cylindrical shank'32 that is journaled for rotation within theI upper portion of the frame memberv 11, the block 31 Ahaving radially disposed ports 33, .34, 35

and 36 arranged at vdiametrically opposite Vpoints such ports being adapted to register with the passagewaysl and-17 and. with ed to rotate therewith around the .shank 13 cular frame are Vfour pairs of spacedlugs 41 within each pair of which isv journaled a crank 42upon the outer end of which is rigidly secured a gear wheel 43 that is adapted to mesh with a fixed gear wheel 44 that is rigidly secured by screws 45 to the frame member 10. The fixed gear-wheel 44 may also have a squared recess in its hub portion thatv is adapted to fit over the squared blockl2.

Rigidly secured to thel four faces of the block or hub member 31 are `four cylinders 45, 46, 47 and 4S'within which are mounted reciprocable pistons 50 that'are each connected by rods 51 with cranks 52 on the crank shafts 42 in such a manner that when the pistons 50 are 'reciprocated' the gear wheels 43 will be rotated.

The inlet and exhaust passagewc ys 16 and 17 in the shank 13 are arranged so that when the piston in one of the cylinders, as shown in Fig. 3, -is at the innermost "point of its travelv andthe piston in the opposite cylinder is at its outermost point of its travel the ports 35 and-33 will be closed, but as soon as the i hub member vis turned through a slight angle in a clockwise direction the port 33 will register with the passageway 16 and permit the steam to exhaust from the cylinder 45 while the port 35 will register with the passageway 17 and permit the inlet of steam into the cylinder 47, the exhaust and inlet both Ycontinuing through the grooves 18 andQO respectively, until the hub 3l has made substantially half of one complete revolutio'n from the position shown inFig. 3.

Iffthe valve member24 is rotated through onel half 'of vone 'complete' revolution the port 16 `will register with theV steam inlet passagewayQG'and the port 17 will register with: the exhaust groove 25 thusreversing the positions ofthe inlet and'exhaust points which will-have-jthe effect o'reversing the directionV offrotation of the engine.

4It vwill be seen from Figs. 3 and 7 thatthe grooves 118 andiQONterminat-e at"a sufiicient idistancelfromlthe ports 17 and 2O respectively, so that there are two points -where each of the ports 33', '34', 35 and 36'y are com- ".pletel-y closed vboth toiexhaust and inlety during' each revolution such-points correspond- .ling to `the Si dead :center "positions "of the piston and crank mechanism served by the respective ports; ff l Y,

Fig. A3showsthe vpiston of the cylinder V4745 just ready to begin its exhaustmstroke,

`der 47 completing its exhaust stroke and just ready to begin its power stroke and the pistonof the cylinder 48 about midway of its power stroke and exerting a maximum turning eiect. Y

Fig. 7 shows the cylinders in the same position but owing-,to'vthe fact that the-positionA of the'valve l24 is reversed such cylinders would be'moving.contra-clockwise so that 'thercylinder 48l would vbe exhausting and cylin'der46 working. l f

As'the ipistons 50reciprocate they will rotate the wheels 43 which wheelswill.v roll around on theixed gear wheel 44 and carry the circular. framev along with them, the force that tends to rotate the circular frame beingv appliedthrough the pivot ishafts42'. Frointhel'above description it -will be seen that substantially all of the :heavier parts of the engine are carried by the circular frame and rotate therewith so that-,when they are properly balanced the entire engine has the momentum to the weight ofzallof such parts' and will run with a very smooth and steadyfmotion. I f a When the engine is in motion it isapparent that centrifugal force will exert an outward. ythrust-on the pistons' thereby workin'g in'conjunction with the steam on* the power. strokeof each-piston@ "Thel outer end @tithe-shank 3:2 may be f provided with a fxedly "secured ffly' wheel 53 by A-Ineans of which 'the 'power developed by the engine may be takenoif. 1

In the engine herein illustrated ther fixed` gear wheel-44 is ofthe same pitch diameter,

and'is provided? with the same/'number of teeth as the gear wheels 43fso'that thergear 'wheels 243 will ltravel one complete revolution around the fixedljgear wheel 44- upon ioo eachcomplete reciprocationof the pistons 50. f

Y Itwill be readilyiunderstoodfthat if it is desired to secure greater :power and less speed in my engine the ratio between the gear wheels.v 44 and the gear wheels 43- may be fvarie'd, Vas 'for instance, theA gear wheels 43 may be made one half the size ofthe gear wheels 44 so.' that-it will require two and two f complete revolutions' fof, 1- the f gear lcomplete :'reciprocations of ,the vpistons 50 i wheels'43 to causefthem" to travel"entirely:`

i wheelsv,44 VitY will require four *complete 1re: lciprocatioxis"oi `the 'pistonsf'tocauseithe gear wheels-43 to :trzwelfoncearound'ftheV .1 gear 'Yfwheel"144;-v f IncasethefiratioV olfj the i gearv ftvheels 243112 and Athe jfgearfwheel ',44 is f made.' other Vtha11i-one?,to onethevalve mechaf v fnsni ywill nnecessarily 'be' changed to permit the intake and exhaust of steam at the proper intervals.

It will be readily understood that cylinders of dilferent size may be incorporated in an engine yof this type and a suitable valve mechanism provided wherebv the steam may exhaust from a smaller cylinder into a larger cylinder to thereby use steam expansively and secure a maximum eliiciency in a manner well known in the art of steam engines.

If it is desired the principles embodied in the construction of my engine herein disclosed may be adapted to the construction of an internal combustion engine, the driving effect of the several gear Wheels being the same regardless of the nature of the agent used to reciprocate the pistons.

Obviously changes may be made in the form, dimensions, and arrangement of parts of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

lVhat I claim is: f

l. An engine comprising a supporting frame, a hollow cylindrical shank having a squared portion on one end rigidly supported in said frame said shank having oppositely disposed ports extending through the walls thereof, said ports each communieating with a groove on the periphery of said shank that extends around said shank to a point adjacent the opposite port, a valve member adapted to lit snugly within said hollow shank, an inlet pipe connected with said valve member and having a passageway therethrough to connect with one of said ports in said shank said inlet pipe being smaller than the passageway in said hollow shank and said valve member affording an unobstructed outlet for exhaust, a cylinder base mounted for rotation on said shank and having inlet and exhaust ports that register with the ports in said shank, radially disposed cylinders secured to said cylinder base, a circular frame secured to said cylinder base and rotatable therewith, crank shafts journaled for rotation in said circular frame, a fixedly mounted gearwheel concentric with the axis of rotation of said circular frame, other gearwheels of the same size as said fixedly mounted gearwheel secured to said crank shafts and meshing with said fixed gearwheel, pistons reciprocable within said cylinders, and rods connecting' said pistons with said crank shafts for rotating said gearwheels.

2. An engine comprising a fixed tubular shank having oppositely disposed ports extending through the walls thereof, said ports each communicating with a groove von the periphery of said shank that extends around said shank to a point adjacent the opposite port, a valve member adapted to t snugly within said hollow shank, an inlet pipe connected with said valve member and having a passageway therethrough to one of said ports in said shank said inlet pipe being smaller than the passageway in said hollow shank and said valve affording an iuiobstructed outlet for exhaust, and a cylinder base mounted for rotation on said shank and having ports that register with the ports and grooves in said shank.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 11th day of February A. D. 1919.

GEORGE L. CHASE. 

